Southern IPM blog posts

Funded by USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture

The Southern Region IPM Center is located at North Carolina State University, 1730 Varsity Drive, Suite 110, Raleigh, NC 27606, and is sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Effective immediately, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) prohibits the importation of pomegranate arils from Peru into the United States. APHIS is taking this action in response to two detections of Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly) larvae in commercial shipments of pomegranate arils from Peru.

Prior to this Federal Order, pomegranate arils were commercially enterable into the United States with inspection at the first port of entry. In May 2018, Customs and Border Protection Agriculture Specialists at Los Angeles International Airport detected Medfly larvae in two commercial consignments of pomegranate arils from Peru. Due to the pest risk, APHIS has determined that prohibition of pomegranate arils from Peru is immediately necessary to prevent the entry of Medfly into the United States, pending an investigation and appropriate remedial measures. This prohibition applies to both commercial shipments and passenger baggage. This prohibition does not affect the commercial importation of whole pomegranate fruit from Peru, which remain enterable with treatment. Continue reading →

Each year the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) joins with the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) to sponsor a lecture presented at the APLU Annual Meeting. The lecture honors one of the three most important historical figures of the Land-grant University system, William Henry Hatch for research, Seaman A. Knapp for extension, and Justin Smith Morrill for whom the Morrill Act which created the Land-grant University system is named.

NIFA and APLU are seeking nominations to honor Justin Smith Morrill – the U.S. Senator primarily responsible for enactment of the historic legislation establishing the land-grant university system. The Justin Smith Morrill Memorial Lectureship is awarded to honor outstanding contemporary leadership in teaching and significant contributions as an educator. Continue reading →